The Railroads Online Showcase revealed some very exciting plans and insights!
Hello everyone!
We had a great time and atmosphere today at our gamescom booth, where we showcased all the exciting plans we have for Railroads Online in the near future!
Let's have a little recap on the key points shown!
Multiplayer gets an Ingame Chat!
Weโre adding an ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ญ! This highly requested feature is finally coming to the game in the near future!
For the smoothest visuals!
New ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ and ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ will also be introduced, to really round up the visuals. Also, there will be new Gameplay, Construction and Player Statistics Menus for a nicer handling of the game.
A desert themed map!
We really wanted to have another completely different map, so you can have several great options to from! Another beautiful Map will be released, which will feature a desert-like environment with a very high contrast to our latest released winter themed map "Aurora Falls". It's also much flatter! ๐
An Early Access Free DLC!
Additionally, we will launch the ๐๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐, containing a new locomotive, the "Red Mountain Depot" and a new skin for the "Montezuma" tender locomotive!๐
You will get more insights and info about release dates, and all the other details very soon, so stay tuned!
And there is even more we have talked about today! In case you've missed the livestream, go watch the full showcase on our official YouTube channel!
Railroads Online Showcase โ Tune in to learn more about what's coming next!
Hello everyone!
gamescom is almost here and we have some extra special content reveals and thrilling insights prepared for you:
Join us this Friday, on August 23, 3:15 PM CEST | 9:15 EDT | 6:15 PDT on our official astragon YouTube channel for a special showcase!
In the livestream we will reveal to you insights on new UI elements and a new way of communicating ingameโฆ Do you have a guess? Additionally, we will give a first look at a brand new map and have some other great announcements ready!
Stream the showcase on the official astragon YouTube channel on August 21, 3:15 CEST | 9:15 EDT | 6:15 PDT to get all the info and insights you need! See you there!
Railroads Online leaves Early Access later this year โ and releases on consoles!
X
Hey y'all, this is exciting. We're just mere weeks away from our third anniversary, and the last few years have definitely been quite a ride! From the release of new features and constant improvements to major upgrades like the launch of Unreal Engine 5, there hasn't been a single week where we haven't been incredibly busy. And now we're taking the next big step:
Later this year, we'll finally leave Early Access. And even launch on PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X!
While we have a tentative timeline for fall, a precise release date is yet to be determined as we continue to work on our roadmap, further enhancements and community feedback. This wild journey just won't end! Without your support, all of this would not have been possible. Without your feedback and incredible engagement, we would never have gotten this far. Thank you sincerely from the bottom of our hearts.
Why are you leaving Early Access?
Since our initial release, we have added so much new content, shipped so many improvements and expanded the game to such an extent, that we now think the game is suitable for a full release.
Fun fact: Initially, we only planned to remain in Early Access for up to one year. Well, things changed, the ambition grew, and the scope broadened. Well, that's just how it is!
At the moment, we are fully focused on polishing Railroads Online even further to release it in the best state it has ever been โ our plans for the period after leaving Early Access will be shared in time.
A gift to all our Early Access players โฅ
We wish there were ways to properly show you how thankful we are for all your support in the last few years and everything you did for us. Seriously, we owe you a lot!
We wanted to make sure that we have at least something for our loyal community. That's why we put together the lovely Pioneer Pack โ including a new placeable building, a new locomotive, and a new fresh skin for the Montezuma. The Pioneer Pack will be free to all Early Access owners who purchase the game until we leave Early Access and will be unlocked with the full release โ and it will be yours to keep, forever. Thank you โฅ
Of course, we don't want to make any kind of bonus content exclusive to one version and punish those who discover this wonderful game at a later stage. This is why we will also offer the Pioneer Pack as a separate purchase to all who join the valleys of Railroads Online in the future.
Please note that the price of Railroads Online on PC will also increase once we come out of Early Access to $34.99 / 34.99โฌ. This only affects people who purchase the game in the future. Until then, the current price remains the same โ so make sure to grab it for cheap while you still can: We're currently 30% off!
BTW: The console version will cost $39.99 / 39.99โฌ.
One last time: Thank you for your support!
When we began developing this game, we did not anticipate reaching this milestone. Every day, we're absolutely happy about every single comment, every piece of feedback, and can't believe so many people play this game continuously.
Thank you so, so, so much for the incredible support and we can not wait for the months to come!
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Leaving Early Access. All later this year. Crazy.
The Loading Screen & Rights and Alerts Update is now available for everyone!
Wonderful Monday, everyone!
Thank you all so much for testing the beta of the combined Loading Screen & Rights and Alerts Update โ due to your feedback we were able to progress swiftly and make it available for everyone on the main branch. Happy Release!
You haven't had the time to try out the update yet? Well, no excuses anymore! Let's dive right into what it contains and what we did since the release of the beta.
A new loading screen experience ๐
In our constant commitment to polish Railroads Online further, we wanted to finally tackle the always present topic of enhanced loading screens. Previously, they consisted of a black screen with... well, nothing more, really. Not anymore!
Starting with this update, they will be much more beautiful, useful, helpful โ and set up the right mood for your duties in the valley. Each loading screen contains a wonderful scenic picture of the maps while also providing some interesting details about the game, be it a random funfact or a good tip. We hope you like them!
Multiplayer rights are finally here ๐ซก
The multiplayer experience of Railroads Online has kinda been like wild west in the past โ no hierarchies at all! With today's update, we're providing all hosts of a game session a great set of different systems to set permissions.
As the host, you can define what your guests can do on your server and even set the permissions per player. Should Hank only be allowed to drive trains while Joe is mandated to build tracks? The choice is yours!
Enough of trolling? Understandable. You can therefore now kick or ban those who misbehave... or somehow sneaked into your company. It's time for law & order on the railroad.
Alerts in need โ ๏ธ
Track building is honest, hard work. We understand how complex this might appear at times โ and we want to help you out with that. Check out the brand-new Alert System that signals if something doesn't work out!
You will receive specific notifications regarding your industries, locomotives, and other parts of the game. This way, you won't have to be at 50 different places at the same time. Unless you can somehow split yourself up into 50 different people โ in that case, disregard this message, you're a wizard.
What do these notifications contain, you may ask? This could for example concern an empty water tank, or the current state of production at an industry. If you don't want to constantly look out for alerts popping up left and right, you can also simply take a look at the map which will also contain this kind of information.
By the way: This feature is optional, you can turn it off in the settings, should you desire this path.
Anything else I should keep in mind?
Not really! We have fixed some of the most pressing issues since the release of the beta (more details here) to provide you with an experience that is as seemless as possible.
We just released the first hotfix on the beta branch for the Loading Screen & Rights and Alerts Update.
The update fixes a few issues that came up since release and were reported to us by the community โ thank you โฅ
The following issues have been resolved:
Fixed an issue where the permissions for Multiplayer could not be set
Fixed an issue where telegraph office with ballast transported a player underneath the map
Fixed an issue where the Key binding for the whistle was missing in the 3rd person driving menu
You have not spotted the update yet? Please make sure to verfiy your game files after downloading the update (go to your library in Steam, right-click on Railroads Online, open Properties, go to Installed files and click on "Verify integrity of game files").
You want to try out the update yourself? Simply switch to the beta branch and you're good to go (go to your library in Steam, right-click on Railroads Online, open Properties, go to Betas, and select "Beta" under "Beta Participation - an update will now be triggered).
Your Railroads Online Team
Out now in Beta: The Loading Screen & Rights and Alerts Update!
Hey there, everyone!
Today is the day! We have just released the newest update to the Beta Branch for you to try and test out:
This update tackles above all the User Experience of the game and gives you useful tools and satisfying transitions to put up an overall smoother experience when playing the game! Let's dive into the details:
Satisfying screen transitions!๐ด
Are you tired of boring and plain loading screens? With the Loading Screen Update we have added several new loading screens, each featuring a different beautiful picture of the maps. While waiting, you will be provided with interesting and funny information about the game, going from helpful tips to random funfacts. Enjoy a pleasant view and an effortless transition to the next screen!
The game is in your hands!
As a host, you set the rules for your session! To give the host the possibility to organize the gamesession, we have added a permission system that allows the host of a session to set individual permissions for each player. This can be used to give each player an individual role, e.g. player 1 can build tracks while player 2 is allowed to drive trains.
Next to setting rights, the host can now also kick or ban any unpleasant players to ensure a fun athmosphere.
Your new most apprechiated supporter!โ ๏ธ
Supporter, who? Check out the new Alert System we have added with this update to give you a helping hand on keeping your work on the railroad effectively in check. From now on you will get specific warnings, reminders and other information that concerns your industries, your locomotives and more, so you don't have to inconveniently check everything yourself! These alerts could e.g. include information about an empty water tank or the production state of an industry.
You want to know the best part? The maximap contains all the current information combined, so you always know what's going on on your map and where your input and work might be needed.
In case you prefer organising your railroad business yourself, you can deactivate this feature in the settings at any time.
On to the changelog! - Version: 0.9.0.0.0 /49324
New Content:
Added loading screens
Loading screens now have screenshots depending on what map you are on
Loading screens have some fun historical facts, game tips & information
They appear whenever you start/join a game or start a tutorial
Added Player permissions to Multiplayer
When you host a server, you can choose between 3 player permission presets:
Public: all permissions off
Private: all permissions on
Custom: create your own permission preset
This preset is active for all new players who join your game
Once the game has been started, you can adjust the permissions for each player.
Simply open the player list with the โTabโ key and check/uncheck the individual permissions.
The permissions are saved individually for each player when the game is saved.They are loaded with the save game.
You can kick/ban players from your server
KICK - If the Host kicks a player from a game, the player receives a message stating the player has been kicked. The player can rejoin the game.
BAN - If the Host bans a player from a game, the player receives a message stating the player has been banned. The player cannot rejoin any game of the Host. Banned players are shown in the players list under the tab โbanned playersโ with their player name (open player menu with TAB) where the host can also unban the player again by clicking on โunbanโ.
Following permissions can be set individually:
BUILD - is the permission of laying all type of tracks, placing facilities, props and industries
DEMOLISH - is the permission to demolish everything that is possible with the demolish tool
INDUSTRIES & FACILITIES - is the permission to operate chutes and spouts at facilities and cranes at industries (loading)
PURCHASE - is the permission to purchase new locomotives and cars
SWITCHES - is the permission to operate switches in the game and on the mini- and maximap
VEHICLES - is the permission to drive a train in first or third person
REMOVE VEGETATION - is the permission to remove trees, cactus and stones with the saw
RERAIL - is the permission to rerail all types of cars, locomotives and tenders
Added Gameplay Alerts
During the gameplay the players are informed by โGameplay alertsโ when something interesting or noteworthy happens.
Each time there is an alert a window will pop up with a description of the alert.
This window will fade out automatically after a short time.
The alerts refresh at the start of a game and then every 15 minutes in case the alert is still active.
They can be turned on or off in the gameplay settings.
The following alerts are displayed:
Industry has stopped producing because the storage is full.
Industry has stopped producing because the storage is empty
Freight car is full
Locomotive is low on fuel in the boiler. (when entering the vehicle)
Locomotive low on water in the boiler. (when entering the vehicle)
Locomotive low on steam. (when entering the vehicle)
Tender low on fuel. (when entering the vehicle)
Tender low on water. (when entering the vehicle)
The gameplay alerts are also displayed on the maximap for the industries.
Yellow icon โ โGoods inโ empty
Red icon โ โGoods outโ full
Improved gameplay performance
With the latest build we improved the gameplay performance. The performance optimization is an ongoing process we continue to work on. Please note performance may vary on what kind of hardware players are running in their pcโs.
New Features:
Added Key Bindings in 3rd person driving menu
Regulator: W/S
Brake: E/D
Reverser: Q/A
Compressor: T/G
Generator valve: U/J
Cylinder Cocks on/off: C
Bell on/off: B
Sander: X
You can adjust the Keybindings to your needs under Options - Controls - Locomotive Controls
Switches can now be toggled by only one mouse button (default - left mouse button), so no more right/left click needed
Several facilities have now the option to be placed with or without ballast
Bug fixes:
Fixed an issue where engines did not show the correct water consumption in the driving UI after their boiler being refilled in the roundhouse
Fixed an issue where all props were able to be snapped at track end points
Fixed an issue where cars would drift apart every time you loaded a save
Fixed an issue where backing into cars, engines and tenders would cause the engine to stop abruptly.
Fixed an issue where player could not turn track pieces before placing them (When spawning a new track piece and the first point is not set yet, the player can override the rotation with <--NUM4 / NUM6-->. The spline stays at this rotation unless further rotated or a new spline is spawned)
Fixed an issue where the moon was rising and setting in the wrong direction
Fixed an issue where toggling minimap was glitched when open and close the maximap
Fixed an issue where ETWNC 2-8-0 front coupler didnโt work
Fixed an terrain issue near the Iron works on Aurora Falls
Fixed an issue where Generators were shown in the driving menu although the locomotive had none
Fixed an issue where sand was consumed too fast
Check out the DevVlog for even more details!
We hope you're happy to try this new update and give us lots of feedback so we can resolve any major issues before the release on the Default Branch and improve the game more and more!
Coming July 08: The Loading Screen & Rights and Alerts Update!
Hey there, everyone!
How is your adventure on the railroad going? Have you been waiting for a breath of fresh air to level up your game? Well, here it is: The Loading Screen & Rights and Alerts Update is coming on July 08 to the Beta Branch!
Let's have a look at the details:
Beautiful new Loading Screens!
No boring loading screens in Railroads Online! Above you can see only one example of many different new loading screens, each featuring a different picture of the magnificant maps! Every screen will include helpful, funny and interesting infotexts to give you a nice and smooth transition to your next screen ๐
Let's bring some order to Multiplayer!
Your game. Your decision! With the Rights Update, Multiplayer sessions will get a little level up. As a host you will have the ability to set rights for other players and also kick or ban players from your session. Set overall permissions for everyone and individual permissions for each player! This way you can also give a sort of individual role to each player, which is especially helpful in larger groups, as it can become quite chaotic, right?
Worry no more about the orga. Just relax and enjoy the game!
Are we running low on water?โ
Keeping everything in check will become super smooth! Are my industries still producing? Are my cars fully loaded and are my locomotives running out of fuel or water? All of these questions will be answered with the new alerts system which will give you specific information and warnings about your industries, locomotives and more!
And the best thing: You will see everything combined on the maximap, so you will always know how everything is going and where your work is needed!
Are you exited for July 8 yet? We hope you're looking forward to the upcoming beta!
What was that? This gaming summer has become so hot that it burned the price tags?๐ฅต Guess, we need to give out some discounts to freshen things up and cool down the locos: The Steam Summer Sale is returning, alongside some cooling fresh deals!๐
This year's Steam Summer Sale ends on July 11, 7PM CEST!
Save 30% on Railroads Online and discover the world of remarkable locomotives at a freshly discounted price!๐ฅ
The Map & Spline Update is now finally out on the Main Branch๐
Hey everyone,
so many updates have been released on beta in the last few months โ and now they've finally been crafted together in a wonderful composition. The Map & Spline Update is now finally available on the Main Branch!
A big thank you to all of you for reporting bugs and issues to us. Thanks to you and our passionate team we also have already resolved any major bugs that were reported in the past few days, which is why we're now ready to move the content of both updates out of the Beta Branch ๐
Today's update contains lots of new content and improvements, like the new Driving UI and theodolites from the March Update, the new Mini- and Maximap from the Map Update and several improvements to the spline system from the Spline Update!
Letโs dive into the details of everything today's big update has in store for you!
The March Update ๐ญ
A fun new surveying tool!
Get useful and fun support with plotting out routes by using Theodolites, a surveying tool which displays the grades between one theodolite to another! Different colors indicate the height of the gradient, while you are in the construction mode. The tools start at 0% of a gradient with green and change their color to yellow and then red at a grade higher than 5%. Arrows additionally indicate the grade and direction between the theodolites. To remove them, you can always demolish the theodolites with the demolish tool!
Fly high!
Get up in the air with the newly added Flight Option and have a better view on things! The free fly mode is activated as soon as you activate rerailing or track laying.
Letโs go for a drive!
We also updated the Driving UI, making it visually more appealing and a better fit for the style of the game. There might still be some changes in future updates, though! ๐ In addition, automatic coupling is now finally here โ and it will make your lifes much easier!
Also new to the game: The high speed Denver & Rio Grande Class 47 locomotive, the Pine Valley Engine House, the RGS #2 Rotary Snow Plow and more!
For more details on the added content with the March Update, have a look at the posting of the beta release: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1696810/view/4107918632351663496?l=english
The Map Update๐บ๏ธ
Geographic maps for maximised orientation!
Become ultimately organized with the new zoomable Maximap (M) which contains exact locations and a whole lot of useful information about facilities, industries, engines & vehicles, other players and more! On the right hand side of the map you will see a legend to help you extract the information you need in no time!
The new Minimap gives you an immediate overview by showing your geographic orientation and displaying the locations of objects and players in your close environment.
The Spline Update๐ช
No mountain too high!
To enhance the fun and sufficiency in track laying, we have added several improvements around splines, including a new Spline System, which now lets you build tracks on hillsides much easier due to its new feature that automatically adjusts the grade of the track to the terrain you are building on. Enhanced visual feedback!
You need more feedback about whether the track is usefully placeable in its current position? We have added a red and green color feedback feature to the splines youโre about to build to give a visual signal about the placeability of the track!
Perfect alignment!
Apart from that, you can now build parallel tracks by copying a track and placing the copy on its right or left side.
We have additionally added an arrow that shows the current alignment of the track preview, though if you want to build completely straight tracks, that is now possible by holding Ctrl. And yes, tracks now also snap to facilities, making it much easier to build a neat area!
If you want to learn more details about the content of the Map & Spline Update, you may want to check out the posting from its beta release on this past Monday: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1696810/view/4159715736520232925?l=english
Go watch the latest DevVlog for even more details:
Have a look at our Prelaid maps!
If you want to start a new save game without starting on a blank map, starting with one of our Prelaid Maps could be a alternative for you. Get a headstart with preplaced facilities, industries, tracks and more! As a new player these may also give you a better orientation and first idea of how to start building your map.
Currently, these maps are not yet implemented into the game, which is why, for the time being, you can find them in This Folder which additionally contains graphical overviews of the industry chains!
In addition, we added two bug fixes compared to yesterday's beta build:
Fixed an issue where password was not accepted (when setting a password now it will automatically be converted to lower case)
Fixed an issue where client could not interact with certain couplers
Have fun with the new updates, now on the Main Branch!
We just released the first hotfix on the beta branch for the Spline and Map Update.
Please make sure to verfiy your game files after downloading the update (Go to your library in Steam, right click on Railroads Online, open Properties, go to Installed files and click on "Verify integrity of game files").
Following issues have been resolved:
Fixed an issue where the sun rised in wrong direction
Fixed an issue where splines continued in the wrong direction after snapping them to existing splines
Fixed an issue where help UI did not disappear anymore
Fixed an issue where Minimap did not display content anymore after changing maps
Fixed an issue where some cars and new vehicles were not shown immediately on the Minimap
Fixed an issue that the 3 color styles of the maximap looked different
Fixed an issue where parallel track did not copy different color types of bridges
Fixed an issue where snow plow acted like it had brakes on it - added also a handbrake now
Fixed an issue where client could not operate the knuckle couplers on the gregg cars
Fixed an issue where the client fell through the loading platform
Fixed an issue where clients didnโt see the correct information of industry in- and outputs on maximap
Fixed an issue where the grade readout was not displayed correctly while building track in precise mode
Fixed an issue where industry snap links were visible all the time. They will now only be displayed when you are in the track building mode
Fixed an issue where the wicker baskets had no hit boxes so they could not be deleted
Fixed an issue where having back to back switches caused them to be unswitchable in the maxi/minimap
Fixed an issue where you could be respawned if you were in the โDeep Valleyโ on Pine Valley
Fixed an issue where clients didn't see locos or tenders on the minimap
Fixed an issue where using a password with โSโ didnt let the client join the game
Fixed an issue where some facilities did not have groundwork under them
Fixed an issue where some industries had incorrect icons for inputs/outputs
Fixed an issue where players could not save games with invalid windows file characters. Invalid characters are replaced with underscore and games will be saved.
Fixed an issue when you delete a track above the ground the engine and cars hang in the air
Fixed an issue where players were unable to close the maxi map if they clicked outside the maxi map bounds.
New Features:
Added a toggle button for the minimap. Press โYโ to toggle the minimap. The key binding can be changed in Options->Controls.
